The invention relates to an engine block and to an engine having such an engine block, in particular for vehicles with an internal combustion engine.
Engine blocks as well as internal combustion engines having engine blocks are known. In the case of many engines, use is made of lubricants, i.e. engine oil, in order to lubricate moving parts and to thereby reduce the wearing thereof. To this end, the engine oil is provided via an engine oil circuit to the appropriate locations in the engine. An oil pump sucks up engine oil from an oil pan and pumps the engine oil via a raw oil feed line to an oil filter for processing. From there, the filtered engine oil is distributed via a clean oil riser to the devices which are to be lubricated in the engine.
From time to time, it is necessary to replace consumed engine oil with fresh engine oil in order to retain the advantageous properties of the engine oil. In the case of such an engine oil service, a screw is removed in the base of the oil pan of the engine in order to allow the engine oil located in the oil pan to flow out through said opening.
Some of the engine oil remains within the tubes and ducts of the engine oil circuit, however, in particular in the raw oil feed line and the clean oil riser. In construction terms, this remaining engine oil is located directly above the oil filter housing, this being integrated in the oil pan.
If the oil filter cover on the oil filter housing is opened, the engine oil located above the oil filter housing flows away via the opening which is thereby created, and soils the oil filter cover, the worker and also the relatively close surroundings of the engine block, for example the underbody trim of a vehicle. If the soiled surroundings are not cleaned thoroughly, there is the risk that, for example in the case of the underbody trim, engine oil later drips from the vehicle and is judged to be an oil leakage on the engine.
It is an object of the invention to provide an engine block which allows for improved drainage of engine oil by reducing the instances of soiling by engine oil which arise.
To achieve the object, provision is made of an engine block comprising an oil pan, an oil pump, a clean oil riser and a switching valve, wherein the switching valve comprises a respective port for the oil pan, the oil pump and also the clean oil riser, and has a first position, in which a connection is established between the clean oil riser and the oil pan. The engine oil located in the clean oil riser can be drained into the oil pan via this connection, as a result of which it is then no longer located above the oil filter housing and can run via the oil filter cover if the latter is opened. Furthermore, this short-circuiting of the clean oil riser with the oil pan vents the raw oil feed line, and therefore the engine oil which is present there can flow away more easily and more rapidly into the oil pan.
The switching valve is preferably a 3-way valve, since in this way the switching valve can have the first position, in which a connection is established between the clean oil riser and the oil pan, in addition to further positions.
According to one advantageous embodiment, the switching valve has a second position, in which a connection is established between the clean oil riser and the oil pump, in order to be able to pass on the pressure of the clean oil riser to the oil pump.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the switching valve has a third position, in which a connection is established between the oil pump and the oil pan, in order to be able to reduce the pressure in the control chamber of the oil pump.
The switching valve preferably has a fourth position, in which the ports of the clean oil riser and of the oil pump are closed, in order to be able to maintain the pressure in the control chamber of the oil pump.
According to the invention, an engine having an engine block according to the invention and a control system is also provided in order to achieve the aforementioned object.
It is advantageous if the control system is designed in such a manner that the switching valve can be switched into the first position only when the engine is stationary. This ensures that said position provided for the engine oil service is not inadvertently used during operation of the engine, and damage to the engine does not occur.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.